Praline is a tricky ingredient to incorporate into an entremet due to its high sugar content. After a lot of research and testing, plus indispensible advice and recipe sharing from a good friend, I finally came up with a combination that balances sweetness and flavours, with a special accent on the hazelnut praline.

And thus came the creation “hazelnut praline dream”, a mini birthday cake for a big fan of praline.

Makes 5 x 7cm round petit gâteau

For the mocha namelaka

1 gelatine leaf

6g cold water

70g dark chocolate couverture

25g milk chocolate couverture

50g whole milk

1 tsp instant coffee granules

1g unsweetened cocoa powder

5g liquid glucose

100g cold heavy cream

1) Cut the gelatine leaves into small pieces and allow to bloom in the cold water.

4) Divide the feuilletine crunch into 5 portions and spread each portion according to the prepared circles.

5) Allow to chill in the refrigerator until required.

For the hazelnut joconde

84g blanched hazelnut, finely ground

84g icing sugar, sifted

29g cake flour

62g whole eggs

62g egg whites, at room temperature

11g granulated sugar

20g melted clarified beurre noisette

2 pinch of fleur de sel

1) Prepare a 9″ x 13″ baking tin lined with baking parchment.

2) Preheat convection oven to 215C.

3) In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the ground hazelnuts, icing sugar and cake flour. Whisk by hand until well-mixed.

4) Pour in the whole eggs and whisk using the whisk attachment on high until mixture is pale and voluminous.

5) In a clean mixer bowl, pour in egg whites and granulated sugar, and whisk until stiff and shiny.

6) Gently fold the meringue into the hazelnut mixture in 2 batches.

7) Add the fleur de sel into the melted clarified butter then scoop about 3 tablespoons of the hazelnut mixture into the butter. Whisk to lighten the butter mixture. Then pour it back into the hazelnut mixture and fold to incorporate.

8) Gently spread the hazelnut mixture onto thprepared baking tin. Try to get an even layer but do not deflate the batter.

9) Bake for 5 to 8 mins in the preheated oven. Cake is done when it springs back when pressed gently.

For the frangelico syrup

20g water

10g sugar

10g frangelico

1) Bring water and sugar to a boil and stir until sugar is fully dissolved.

4) Spoon in 40g of praline mousse and spread it to cover the entire base and up the sides of the ring.

5) Unmold one of the frozen mocha namelaka dome and place it, round side down, into the mousse, pressing down lightly to ensure sides are filled with mousse.

6) Spoon another 25g praline mousse to cover the dome and the sides of the cake rings.

7) Place a joconde round, soaked side down in the middle of the ring, followed by a feuilletine crunch layer, pressing down so it is level with the edge of the cake ring.

8) Repeat for all 5 cake rings then freeze overnight.

9) Remove the frozen cake and glaze with coffee glaze before placing each glazed cake on the prepared pâté friable base.

This is my favourite hazelnut praline creation to date. The taste of the praline is quite pronounced, which the coffee and dark chocolate helps to ensure it is not overly sweet. In particular, I love the praline mousse and the hazelnut joconde. I never imagine joconde to be delicious but this one is really scrumptious. I am left with quite a fair amount of both components though so it looks like I will be making this again in the not-so-far future.